Plasmodium vivax infection compromises reticulocyte stability.
The structural integrity of the host red blood cell (RBC) must be maintained for propagation of Plasmodium spp. during the disease causing blood-stage of malaria infection. Plasmodium vivax infection is restricted to reticulocytes. To assess the impact of P. vivax infection on reticulocyte stability, we developed a flow cytometry-based assay capable of measuring osmotic stability within heterogeneous RBC populations. We found that P. vivax preferred young reticulocytes are more osmotically stable than older reticulocytes and normocytes, and P. vivax infection decreased reticulocyte stability to levels observed for RBC disorders that cause hemolytic anemia. Moreover, P. vivax reticulocyte destabilization was more significant than P. falciparum normocyte destabilization. Finally, we found that P. vivax new permeability pathways contribute to the decreased osmotic stability of infected-reticulocytes. These results reveal a key vulnerability of P. vivax that could be manipulated to yield both in vitro culture and novel therapeutics.
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Posted 19 Aug, 2020
Plasmodium vivax infection compromises reticulocyte stability.
Posted 19 Aug, 2020
The structural integrity of the host red blood cell (RBC) must be maintained for propagation of Plasmodium spp. during the disease causing blood-stage of malaria infection. Plasmodium vivax infection is restricted to reticulocytes. To assess the impact of P. vivax infection on reticulocyte stability, we developed a flow cytometry-based assay capable of measuring osmotic stability within heterogeneous RBC populations. We found that P. vivax preferred young reticulocytes are more osmotically stable than older reticulocytes and normocytes, and P. vivax infection decreased reticulocyte stability to levels observed for RBC disorders that cause hemolytic anemia. Moreover, P. vivax reticulocyte destabilization was more significant than P. falciparum normocyte destabilization. Finally, we found that P. vivax new permeability pathways contribute to the decreased osmotic stability of infected-reticulocytes. These results reveal a key vulnerability of P. vivax that could be manipulated to yield both in vitro culture and novel therapeutics.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4